Jodi Goodwin

Background

About Jodi Goodwin

After 25 years in retail management, I decided to transition into the accounting field. I’m currently pursuing my accounting degree at Georgia Southwestern University, plan to graduate in 2026, and sit for the CPA exam. My background: My first job was at Six Flags scooping ice cream during the summer, followed by 3 years at The Philly Connection, where I was able to get management experience during high school and college. I held two management positions at Eve's Cards & Gifts and Maurices while earning my BBA in Marketing from the University of West GA. Toward the end of college, I began working for New York & Co where I started as a part-time sales associate and worked my way up to a co-manager and later a store manager. I worked for the company almost 19 years. Prior to becoming a store manager, I was 1 of 4 selected to be part of a pilot program for the accessory department in the Southeast Region. I oversaw 6 stores in the Atlanta area to increase accessory sales. I worked with the Regional Visual Manager and had the opportunity to open up many new stores within the region. During this time, my Atlanta stores achieved the highest accessory penetration out of the 4 regions, and I was promoted shortly afterwards. My experience in retail management has shaped me into who I am now and prepared me for my new career path. As a natural introvert, it brought me out of my shell, and I eventually became the leader of a successful high-volume store with up to 20 employees for 12 years. I am very competitive so when it came to our KPIs, we were top in credits, customer survey scores, inventory %, and our St. Jude campaign! I loved my job and was very dedicated. I was there for every corporate visit and even worked until I literally went into labor with my son on a busy Easter weekend. In addition to this, I worked part-time for a financial services company. This was probably the best decision I ever made because I obtained a financial education at an early age, and it helped me develop a positive mindset. Eventually I decided to slow it down and go to The Vitamin Shoppe where I worked for 6 years. I had a much smaller store, but we had great results and were able to increase many metrics including our private brand and auto-delivery sales. Networking on LinkedIn has paid off for me because now I am working for Paragon Accounting & Tax Solutions, to get experience. I love working here! My plan is to become a CPA upon graduation. I am loving what I'm learning in both school and work, and I can't wait to see where I will be in the next 2-3 years!